Hansi Flick's Idealism Turmoil

MADRID, SUNDAY — Hansi Flick may take pride in the attacking football philosophy he has brought to Barcelona. Through this idealism of attacking football, Flick has guided Barca's offensive line to regain its fearsome reputation.

It's just that Barca's attacking line lacks sharpness when faced with Atletico. Since taking charge of "Blaugrana" this season, Flick has not once been able to overcome the pragmatism employed by Atletico.

Barca's throne at the top of the Spanish League standings was disrupted after being overtaken by Real, who secured a victory against Villarreal in another match. Barca can reclaim the top position, but they must first defeat Atletico at the Metropolitano Stadium, Madrid, on Monday (17/3/2025) at 03:00 WIB.

The demand to win and reclaim the top of the standings places considerable pressure on Flick. Moreover, the German coach has yet to find a formula that enables him to conquer Atletico since taking on the offer to manage Barca this season.

In two encounters against Atletico, Flick's Barca always struggled. In the first meeting at Barca's home ground, Atletico managed to secure a 2-1 victory. Their next encounter took place in the semifinals of the Spanish King's Cup. In the first leg, Barca was held to a 4-4 draw.

It is no wonder that the failure to beat Atletico on two occasions gave rise to the idealism of Flick's attacking football. Flick's idea of implementing a high defensive line and playing directly (direct) was apparently countered by Atletico who tend to be pragmatic.

Barca has so far been the most productive team in the league after scoring 71 goals. However, that sharpness has never led them to victory against Atletico.

"We must stay focused from the beginning until the final whistle blows. We have faced them twice in great matches this season. However, we must learn from our mistakes," said Flick during a press conference ahead of the match, as quoted from Barca's website.

Under the guidance of coach Diego Simeone, Atletico has become a very solid team in defense this season. "Los Colchoneros" have only conceded 18 goals so far, the fewest in the league. They are also the team with the most clean sheets, which is 13 times.

In the two meetings this season, all took place at Barca's home ground. Even then, Atletico is still unbeaten. Flick's task becomes even harder when facing Atletico at their home ground. This season, Atletico has never lost at the Metropolitano. In 14 home games, Atletico has won 10 and drawn four.

Defending with discipline and not giving any gaps between the lines is the key to Atletico's defense. This is also what they showed when they successfully scored a quick goal against Real Madrid in the last 16 of the Champions League. After scoring through Conor Gallagher, Atletico players lowered their defensive line to focus on thickening the defense while creating opportunities through counterattacks.

Atletico's defense was already able to be broken down by Barca when they drew 4-4 in the Spanish King's Cup semifinals. However, the productivity in the attack line was not balanced by the vulnerability in the defense. Atletico exploited Barca's tendency to play with a high defensive line.

"We tried to control the game by having possession and playing calmly. That's what we'll try to do in this game. But we have to be careful that they don't surprise us with counter-attacks," said Barca midfielder Pedri.

On the other hand, Atletico players still can't forget the painful defeat from Real. Simeone admitted there was a feeling of frustration and unfairness due to the annulment of Julian Alvarez's penalty. The Argentine striker was considered to have touched the ball twice when he was the executor in the penalty shootout.

The match against Barca could be a defining moment for Atletico in their pursuit of the league trophy this season. Barca are currently in second place in the standings with 57 points, one point ahead of Atletico who have played one game more. If they can win again, Atletico can go two points ahead of Barca and move up to second place.

"It's always important to keep the right distance in the standings as the season progresses. For us, this game is about winning and closing the gap. If they win, they will be closer to the title," Simeone said.

Two wins over Barca this season are a great asset for Atletico. This is the first time they have managed to win twice over Barca in one season since the last time they did so in the 2005-2006 season. (REUTERS)